Double time for Double Down

May 19, 2010|By Wailin Wong, Tribune Reporter

Chicken chain KFC is extending the life of its controversial and cholesterol-filled Double Down sandwich past the promotion's scheduled end date of May 23.

The company said it is keeping the sandwich on the menu because of high demand. It expects to sell its 10 millionth Double Down later this month. The sandwich skips the bun, instead putting bacon, cheese and sauce between two pieces of chicken.

The Double Down attracted a huge amount of buzz in traditional and social media in advance of its April 12 release date. (The Tribune's Kevin Pang called it "plain gross" and "unfathomably salty," although he noted that its calorie and fat content is lower than that of a Burger King Whopper.)

Javier Benito, KFC's executive vice president of marketing and food innovation, said "millions of Double Down fans have spoken and we won't disappoint them."

The company said the sandwich will be available through the summer but did not say whether the item would remain on the menu indefinitely.